The present invention relates to a method of knitting a collar portion of knitwear by using a flat knitting machine, and to the knitwear knitted in that knitting method.
The applicant proposed a variety of knitting techniques using a flat knitting machine for knitting knitwear, such as a vest an a sweater, in a lot of applications including Japanese Laid-open (Unexamined) Patent Publications No. Hei 2(1990)-91254, No. Hei 2(1990)-229248, No. Hei 4(1992)-209855 and No. Hei 4(1992)-153346. In those proposed knitting techniques, a body and both sleeves of the knitwear are each knitted in the form of a tubular body up to the underarms and then are joined together at the underarms and knitted in the form of a single tubular body from the underarms to the shoulder, while the both sleeves are shifted toward the body to overlap the loops of the both sleeves with the loops of the body, whereby the single tubular body is gradually reduced in diameter. This knitting technique (hereinafter it is referred to as xe2x80x9cseamless knitxe2x80x9d) can simplify or eliminate the sewing process after the knitting.
FIG. 9 shows a pattern paper (stitch alignment) of the body and sleeves of the sweater for the conventional seamless knit. Illustrated above is the pattern of a back body 102b and back sleeve portions 104b, 114b which will appear at the back side when wearing the sweater. Illustrated below is the pattern of a front body 102a and front sleeve portions 104a, 114a which will appear at the front side when wearing the sweater. It is to be noted that the terms xe2x80x9crightxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cleftxe2x80x9d appearing in the members, such as the right front body 115a and the right sleeve 114, is intended to mean the right-hand part and the left-hand part when viewing from a wearer who wears the sweater.
In the sweater, the front body 102a and the front sleeves 104a, 114a are joined together at their respective underarms A, a and P, p, and the back body 102b and the back sleeves 104b, 114b are joined together at their respective underarms H, h and S, s. The line A-F-B of the front body 102a and the line P-Q of the sleeve 104a are joined together, and the line a-f-b of the front body 102a and the line p-q of the sleeve 114a are joined together. Likewise, the line H-I of the back body 102b and the line S-T of the sleeve 104b are joined together, and the line h-i of the back body 102b and the line s-t of the sleeve 114b are joined together. The line C-D-E-e-d-c represents a front neckline 110a having a circular-arc cut form, and the line J-j of the back body 102b represents a back neckline 10b confronting the front neckline and having the same number of wale (knitting width) between J-j. From E, e where the knitting of the neckline is started, the front neckline 110a is forked into a right front body 115a and a left front body 105a and knitted up to the shoulder. In this knitting, the so-called flechage knitting that the stitches around the neckline are sequentially put into operative states is repeatedly performed, whereby a circular-arc cut is formed at the front neckline 110a. 
This circular-arc cut formed at the front neckline 110a is called a front drop. The like circular-arc cut which is called a back drop is sometimes formed in the back body 102b. The more the number of times the flechage knitting is repeated, the deeper the front drop formed becomes. The line B-C of the front body 102a and the line I-J of the back body 102b are joined together at the shoulder in the bind-off process. The line b-c of the front body 102a and the line i-j of the back body 102b are joined together in the same manner. After the forming of the neckline, front and back collars 108a, 108b are knitted around the neckline. After this manner, the knitting of the sweater 100 is ended.
In the knitwear knitted in the manner mentioned above, the front neckline 110a having a circular-arc cut form is identical in number of wale with the back neckline 110b, irrespective of a depth of the front drop. Due to this, the knitting width of the front collar 108a becomes shorter than a peripheral length of the front neckline 110a, thus causing the collar 108 to be stretched transversely and forcing the front drop to rise up. As a result of this, the front drop as expected cannot be obtained. In addition, since the collar cannot be given a sufficient knitting width, the neckline 110 cannot be given a sufficient dimension for one""s head to smoothly pass through the neckline 110 when wearing. If the neckline 110 is modified in design so that the number of wale between C-c and between J-j of the front and back necklines 110a, 110b can be increased, respectively, the neckline 110 will be given a size for one""s head to smoothly pass through, but on the other hand, it will be largely expanded laterally toward the shoulder to the extent corresponding to the increased number of wale, thus disadvantageously producing non-stylish knitwear.
The applicant previously proposed in Japanese Laid-open (Unexamined) Patent Publication No. Hei 4-21448 the knitting method wherein the neckline of the front body is increased in number of wale and also the front drop having a sufficient depth is formed in that neckline by using a flat knitting machine. This knitting method is a knitting method for the front body to be knitted as a single part of the knitwear. In this knitting method, the front body is knitted so that it can be forked from a starting point for the neckline into the right front body and the left front body, in the process of which widening stitches are formed around the neckline and also the stitches of the right front body and the stitches of the left front body are shifted to the outside, respectively. While this knitting is repeated, the front body is knitted up to the shoulder. As a result of the neckline being formed in this manner, the number of wale of the neckline is increased and, as a result of this, the collar knitted in continuity with the knitting of the neckline is widened and also since the collar is not stretched transversely, the front drop having a sufficient depth is formed in the neckline. When the front body thus knitted and other pieces or parts are sewn together to produce a sweater, the knitwear comes to be fancy and stylish and so comfortable to wear that when wearing, one""s head can smoothly pass through the neckline.
However, the application of the knitting method of Japanese Laid-open (Unexamined) Patent Publication No. Hei 4(1992)-21448 previously cited to the knitwear to be knitted seamlessly is not easy when the knitwear having a large neckline width and the front drop formed in the neckline is formed. For example, when the knitwear is knitted in the form of a vest, consideration must be taken of not only the front body but also the relation with the back body which is integrally knitted in parallel with the front body to confront it. Further, in knitting a sweater, a cardigan and the like, since the sleeves are laid at each side of the bodies, further consideration must be taken, including the horizontal and vertical positions of those parts and the way of forming the neckline in the front body and of being integrally knitted with the other parts while shifting the neckline to the outside, thus requiring further complicated consideration and calculation. In addition, in the knitting method disclosed in the publication cited above, the neckline is formed by the loops being transferred and shifted to the outside, while the right front body and the left front body are subjected to the flechage knitting. As a result of this, the knitted fabric is not pulled down sufficiently, so that there is a limit to the number of times of the flechage knitting and there may be cases where the front drop having a sufficient depth cannot be obtained: It is the object of the present invention to provide a knitting method for knitting knitwear having a front drop having a sufficient depth, which is formed in a neckline of knitwear, such as a sweater, knitted seamlessly by using a flat knitting machine, and having a stylish collar in a relatively simple manner and to provide knitwear having such a stylish collar.
The present invention provides a method of knitting a collar of knitwear comprising a front body and a back body by using a flat knitting machine comprising at least a pair of first and second needle beds, at least either of which can be racked laterally to transfer stitches between the needles beds, wherein the knitwear is knitted in the condition that the front body is associated with the first needle bed and the back body is associated with the second needle bed, so that the front body and the back body are joined together at both knitting-widthwise ends to be knitted into a tubular body, and wherein the knitwear is knitted from its rib hem toward its shoulder, in the course of which from a front neckline forming starting point, the front body is forked into a right front body and a left front body and also the front body and the back body are knitted up to the shoulder while a flechage knitting that stitches around the neckline are sequentially removed from the knitting so as to be put into inoperative states is repeated a predetermined number of times to form the neckline in a circular-arc cut form, first, and, then, are joined together at the shoulder, followed by forming of a collar around the neckline,
the method comprising the following steps:
a) that when the neckline of the front body is formed, a sufficient number of wale for forming a front drop having a sufficient depth is introduced in the front body, to form the neckline of the front body;
b) that after the neckline of the front body is formed, the front body and the back body are joined together at the shoulder in such a relation that a back neckline of the back body confronts the front neckline of the front body and has substantially the same number of wale as the number of wale of the confronting front neckline;
c) that the number of wale of the back neckline is decreased by transferring a stitch of the back neckline and overlapping it with an adjacent stitch in the same back neckline;
d) that during the knitting of the step c), at least one stitch at each side end of the front neckline is fed to the needle bed retraining the back neckline having the decreased number of wale, to minimize difference in the number of wale of the necklines retained between the front and back needle beds; and
e) that the collar is knitted in continuity with the knitting of the necklines formed in the steps a) to d).
It is preferable that the knitting for decreasing the number of wale of the back neckline is performed in the order that one of right and left sides of the neckline is subjected to the same knitting, first, and, then, the other of the right and left sides of the neckline is subjected to the same knitting, and wherein the knitting method includes the step that when the number of wale of the back neckline is decreased at the one side of the neckline, the stitch at the side end of the front neckline is temporally fed to the needle bed retaining the back neckline on the other side of the neckline and then the same needle bed is racked, whereby the stitch at the side end of the front neckline and the stitch at the end on the other side of the back neckline are prevented from being spaced apart from each other to a large extent, so as to minimize a load put on those stitches.
Also, the present invention provides seamless knitwer having front and back bodies joined together at both widthwise ends thereof and formed into a tubular body from its rib hem toward its shoulder by using a flat knitting machine, the front body having a right front body and a left front body into which the front body is forked from a front neckline forming starting point, wherein after the front neckline is knitted in a circular-arc cut form by a flechage knitting, the front body and the back body are joined together at the shoulder and then collars are knitted in a circular form in continuity with the front neckline formed in the front body and the back neckline formed in the back body, wherein a back neckline of the back body is formed to have substantially the same number of wale as the number of wale of the confronting front neckline, and wherein the number of wale of the back neckline is decreased by transferring a stitch of the back neckline and overlapping it with an adjacent stitch in the same back neckline.
According to the knitting method of the present invention, when the neckline of the front body is formed, a sufficient number of wale for forming a front drop having a sufficient depth is introduced in the front body, to form the neckline of the front neckline and also a back neckline of the back body is formed to have substantially the same number of wale as the number of wale of the confronting front neckline. The number of wale of the back neckline is in excess of an actually required number of wale. After that, the number of wale of the back neckline is decreased by overlapping adjacent stitches of the back neckline with each other to reduce the diameter of the opening of the neckline. In parallel with this, stitches at each side end of the front neckline are sequentially fed to the needle bed retraining the back neckline, to minimize difference in the number of wale of the necklines retained between the front and back needle beds. As a result of the number of wale of the back neckline being decreased, followed by the knitting of the collar, the front collar knitted in continuity with the front neckline is prevented from being stretched transversely to an extent corresponding to the decreased width of the back neckline. This can produce the neckline with the front drop having a sufficient depth and thus can produce a seamless knit which is stylish and so comfortable to wear that when wearing, one""s head can smoothly pass through the neckline.
In the knitting for decreasing the number of wale of the back neckline, one of right and left sides of the neckline is subjected to the same knitting, first, and, then, the other of the right and left sides of the neckline is subjected to the same knitting. When the number of wale of the back neckline is decreased at the one side of the back neckline, the stitch at the side end of the front neckline is temporally fed to the other side of the back neckline retained on the needle bed. By virtue of this, even when a large number of wale of the back neckline is wanted to be decreased, the racking of the needle bed can allow the stitch at the side end of the front neckline and the stitch at the end on the other side of the back neckline to be prevented from being spaced apart from each other to a large extent, so as to prevent occurrence of yarn breakage. In addition, this knitting for decreasing the number of wale of the neckline is provided as a separate process after the knitting for joining together the front and back bodies. This can make it possible to ignore the issue that consideration must be taken of the horizontal and vertical positions of the parts of the fabric, such as the bodies and the sleeves, on the needle beds, as well as of the way how those parts are integrally knitted, while forming the neckline in the front body. In addition, this can provide the advantage of producing the knitting program for a variety of knitwear in a relatively easy and simple way, regardless of types of knitwear, a vest or a sweater, or types of sleeves, a raglan sleeve type or set-in type. Also, even when the flat knitting machine used owns a number of previously produced knitting programs, since the knitting program mentioned above can be simply added to those existing programs, modifications can be made easily.
Also, in the knitwear of the present invention, the back neckline is formed to have substantially the same number of wale as the number of wale of the confronting front neckline, and the number of wale of the back neckline is decreased by overlapping the adjacent stitches with each other. Then, the collars are knitted in continuity with this knitting of the necklines. As a result of this, the front collar knitted in continuity with the front neckline is prevented from being stretched transversely to an extent corresponding to the decreased width of the back neckline. This can produce the neckline with the front drop having a sufficient depth and thus can produce a seamless knit having a stylish collar.
FIG. 1 shows a round-necked sweater knitted as knitwear;
FIG. 2 shows parts of the sweater that are to be knitted on a flat knitting machine;
FIG. 3 shows an outline of the knitting of the sweater in the respective steps;
FIG. 4 shows the knitting steps S-3 for reducing the number of wale of the back neckline;
FIG. 5 shows the knitting steps 4-7 for reducing the number of wale of the back neckline;
FIG. 6 shows the knitting steps 8-11 for reducing the number of wale of the back neckline;
FIG. 7 shows the knitting steps 12-15 for reducing the number of wale of the back neckline;
FIG. 8 shows the knitting steps 16-17 for reducing the number of wale of the back neckline; and
FIG. 9 shows parts of the sweater that are to be knitted on the flat knitting machine in the prior art.